Here's how to start using Q&A versions 3 and 4 for DOS. (If you're still using version 1, 1.1, or 2, follow my instructions for version 3, which is similar. Better yet, upgrade!)
I'll assume you have a hard disk whose CONFIG.SYS file mentions ``files'' and ``buffers'' (as I recommended in the MS-DOS chapter).
Copy Q&A to the hard disk
Version 3 comes on seven 5¬-inch floppies. Version 4 comes on eight 5¬-inch floppies. (If you want 3«-inch floppies, ask your dealer for the 3«-inch version.)
Here's how to copy Q&A to the hard disk.
Version 3 Turn on the computer without any floppy in drive A. After the C prompt, type ``md qa'' (so you're making a subdirectory called QA). After the next C prompt, type ``cd qa'' (so you're changing to the QA subdirectory).
Put Q&A System Disk 1 into drive A, and type ``copy a:*.*'' (which copies all the floppy's files onto the hard disk). Follow the same procedure for all the other Q&A floppy disks, in numerical order: do Q&A System Disk 2, then Q&A System Disk 3, etc., and finally the Q&A Tutorial.
Version 4 Turn on the computer without any floppy in drive A. When you see the C prompt, put the Q&A #1 Install Disk in drive A and type ``a:install''.
The computer says, ``Q&A Version 4.0 Installation''. Press ENTER twice.
The computer says, ``DESTINATION DRIVE SELECTION''. Press the down-arrow key twice, so the ``C:'' is darkened. Press ENTER.
The computer says ``C:\QA4''. Tap the BACKSPACE key (so you change the computer's message to ``C:\QA''). Press ENTER twice.
Here's what happens next (when you're using 5¬-inch floppies).
The computer says, ``Please insert disk 2''. Put the Q&A #2 Disk in drive A and press ENTER.
The computer says, ``Please insert disk 3''. Put the Q&A #3 Disk in drive A and press ENTER.
The computer says, ``Please insert disk 4''. Put the Q&A #4 Disk in drive A and press ENTER.
The computer says, ``Please insert disk 5''. Put the Q&A #5 Disk in drive A and press ENTER.
The computer says, ``Please insert disk 6''. Put the Q&A #6 Disk in drive A. Press ENTER 4 times.
Then the computer shows the top of an alphabetical list of printers. Press the down-arrow key several times, until your printer is darkened.
Press the SPACE bar (so a check mark appears next to your printer). Press ENTER 4 times.
Here's what happens next:
The computer shows a list of tutorial files. Press the F5 key. Press ENTER.
The computer says, ``Please insert disk 7''. Put the Q&A #7 Disk in drive A. Press ENTER 4 times.
The computer shows a list of databases. Press the F5 key. Press ENTER 4 times.
Then the computer shows a list of utility files. Put check marks next to ASC-CODE.ASC, LINE-DOC.DOC, and QABACKUP.EXE. (Do not put a check mark next to HIMEM.SYS, since that version of HIMEM.SYS is obsolete.) To create a check mark, press the down-arrow key repeatedly until the item you want to check is darkened, then press the SPACE bar. When you've created all three check marks, end the whole process by pressing ENTER.
The computer says, ``Please insert disk 8''. Put the Q&A #8 Disk in drive A. Press ENTER 5 times.
Make Q&A act better
After you've copied Q&A to the hard disk, make Q&A act better. Here's how.
Step 1: get to the utilities menu Type ``qa''. Computer says ``Q&A MAIN MENU''. Press U then ENTER. Computer says ``UTILITIES MENU''.
Step 2: select automatic execution Press S then ENTER. Press the down-arrow key several times, until the words ``Automatic Execution'' are highlighted. Press the left-arrow key (so that the word ``Yes'' is highlighted). Press the F10 key. Computer says ``UTILITIES MENU'' again.
Step 3: select a printer Press P. The computer will say ``PRINTER SELECTION''. Press ENTER twice.
If you're using version 3, here's what happens next:
Computer says ``LIST OF PRINTERS''. Press the PAGE DOWN (or PgDn) key repeatedly until you see the name of your printer (or a similar printer). Use the arrow keys to move to your printer's name. Press ENTER twice. Press the F10 key.
If you're using version 4, this happens instead:
Computer says ``LIST OF PRINTER MANUFACTURERS''. If you don't see name of your printer's manufacturer, press PAGE DOWN (or PgDn) key. Use arrow keys to move to your printer's name. Press ENTER. You see a list of printer models. Use arrow keys and PAGE DOWN key to move to your printer model. Press ENTER twice.
Finally, the computer says, ``Your printer has been installed''. Press N. The computer says ``UTILITIES MENU'' again.
Step 4: exit Press the ``Esc'' key. Press X. You'll see a C prompt. Turn off the computer, so you can start fresh.
Run Q&A
To run Q&A, turn on the computer without any floppy in drive A.
If you've put the DO.BAT file onto your hard disk (as I recommended in the MS-DOS chapter) and put Q&A into the QA subdirectory (as I recommended above), your life is easy! Just type ``do qa''.
If you have not put DO.BAT onto your hard disk, do this instead: type ``cd qa'' and then ``qa''.
The computer will print this on the screen:
Q&A MAIN MENU
F - File
R - Report
W - Write
A - Assistant
U - Utilities
X - Exit Q&A
That main menu is a list of the various activities the program can perform for you.
If you're using version 4 and have a mouse, you'll see a small red rectangle in the middle of the screen. Move that rectangle out of the way ___ to the screen's top right corner ___ by rolling the mouse toward your desk's back right corner. Get into typing
To use Q&A's word processor, choose ``W - Write'' from the main menu by pressing the W key. (That works if you followed my instructions about ``select automatic execution''. If you did not follow those instructions, you must press ENTER after pressing W ___ and you must press ENTER after choosing any item from any menu!)
The screen will show the write menu:
WRITE MENU
T - Type/edit
D - Define page
P - Print
C - Clear
G - Get
S - Save
U - Utilities
M - Mailing labels
That menu is a list of what Q&A's word processor can do for you.
To begin, choose ``T - Type/edit'' from the write menu (by pressing T).
The lower right-hand corner of the screen will say ``Line 1 of Page 1 of 1'', which means you can begin typing your document.
Type the document
Begin typing whatever document you wish to create. For example, try typing a novel that begins like this:
Once upon a time, a man was walking down the street, when lo and behold, his house was gone. As he gaped into the hole, a burning sensation in his shoes warned him that . . .
I'll let you complete that paragraph yourself! Be creative!
Shift keys To capitalize a letter, type the letter while holding down a Shift key. (One Shift key is next to the Z key; the other Shift key is next to the ? key. Each Shift key has an up-arrow on it.)
BACKSPACE key If you make a mistake, erase it by pressing the BACKSPACE key, which erases the character you just typed. (The BACKSPACE key is in the upper-right corner of the keyboard's main section. It's to the right of the + key, and it has a left-arrow on it.)
ENTER key As you type that paragraph and get near the right margin, do not press the ENTER key. Just keep on typing! The computer will press the ENTER key for you automatically.
If you try to type a long word near the right margin, and the word's too long to fit before the margin, the computer will automatically move the entire word to the line below. The computer's ability to automatically move an entire word to the line below is called word wrap.
Since the computer automatically presses the ENTER key for you, never press the ENTER key yourself until you reach the end of a paragraph. Pressing the ENTER key there makes the computer return to the left margin, so that you can begin a new paragraph. Pressing the ENTER key means: begin a new paragraph.
